My first testing class was with Angell (no not that one) at Sac State. It is probably true that, if two tests differ in nothing but name, there may be no reason to argue that they aren't interchangeable. However, even if the questions are identical, the populations on which the norms are based will have a lot to do with the interpretation. And as I mentioned, in this case, the MFT and GRE certainly differ in the way they are written (MFT to spread scores across the entire range while GRE questions are pitched to distinguish extreme high scorers). They are not just the same test called two different things. Even if they were the same items, there would still be a difference in the population tested to develop the norms and how that would apply to your situation. I don't think you could get useful achievement information for those graduating with a BA by comparing them to the subset of people who were applying to graduate school. If an appropriate norm was available for the test, there is no reason you couldn't use the GRE for this purpose. However, with the questions being written as they are, for distinguishing highest performers from high performers, the test wouldn't be very useful in spreading people across the continuum of performance in your program.
Rick Dr. Rick Froman, Chair Division of Humanities and Social Sciences John Brown University Siloam Springs, AR 72761 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ________________________________________ From: Dr. Bob Wildblood [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, December 01, 2008 7:56 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: RE:[tips] Requirements for Intro Psych instructors Rick Froman wrote: You could certainly do this although the main purpose of the subject GRE is to predict performance in grad school (an aptitude test) instead of measuring how much you know about Intro (an achievement test). In fact, the MFT was developed to answer the need for outcomes assessment since some programs (I worked for one) were starting to use the GRE subject test for outcomes assessment. Well, honest to all things scientific, I don't want to start anything, and I'm only a clinical psychologist who had a minor in measurement theory, but I have still to be convinced that just because you call a test an aptitude test and another with almost identical content an achievement test, that they are really different other than being taken at two different points in time. And believe me, having had McCormick and Tiffin and Perloff as some of my professors in my minor make and break all of the arguments on both sides, I remain convinced that there is no difference. Bob Bob Wildblood, PhD, HSPP Lecturer in Psychology Indiana University Kokomo Kokomo, IN 46904-9003 [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] We have in fact, two kinds of morality, side by side: one which we preach, but do not practice, and another which we practice, but seldom preach. -Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel laureate (1872-1970) The race of men, while sheep in credulity, are wolves for conformity. -Carl Van Doren, professor, writer, and critic (1885-1950) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
